Partners in Crime
by PrettyLittleMonster
Summary: In which Beacon has fallen, and Roman Torchwick, having fought his way out of a massive grimm, needs to find Neo, and get out of Vale to start fresh...
1. Chapter 1

**(Author's Note: Here's the deal y'all, Roman stabbed his way out of the grimm that ate him. And here's what happened next…**

 **Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing except my own imagination.)**

It had been 14 hours since he'd received the distress signal from Neo's scroll, and finally he'd found her. Well, he'd found her scroll, half buried in ash and debris, flashing red in the dark forest. He knew she had to be nearby.

"Neo!" His voice echoed through the trees, and then there was silence. Not even the rustling of leaves as she ran toward him or the sound of her breath as she sighed out in relief. He picked up her scroll and pocketed it. He was about to move on, but then he spotted it, tangled in the branches of a tree, Neo's umbrella.

A feeling of dread rose in his throat, causing Roman to hesitate a moment, before frantically searching the area, terrified that what he was going to find was not his Neo, but her corpse.

He tore through the surrounding area, fear coursing through him, and when he finally saw those first few stands of candy floss hair, he almost didn't want to look any further.

Roman knelt down beside his partner. She was lying on her stomach, her limbs all horribly twisted and mangled from the fall. He placed a hopeful hand on her back. Tears welled up in his eyes as he felt it move up and down with each labored breath. She was alive.

Cautiously, he rolled her over onto her back, straightening her arms and legs as well. She had a long gash across her face that had mostly stopped bleeding, and all of her exposed skin was peppered with minor cuts and scratches and the beginnings of bruises, but nothing that would cause her to bleed out.

"It's okay Neo," he whispered to her, kissing her forehead gently. "I'm here, I've got you. Everything's going to be okay."

He was nervous to move her, but he didn't feel he had a choice. No one in their right mind would send an ambulance to pick up two notorious criminals, and he wasn't too keen on letting Cinder, or anyone else for that matter, know that he and Neo were still alive. For all they knew, she died in the crash and he was eaten by a Grimm. No, they needed to lie low, so he wrapped her in his coat to keep her warm, lifted her off the ground, and started walking, heading back out of the woods. He didn't know where they could go, but they couldn't go home, not anymore.

He walked for hours, clutching Neo's limp body to his chest, the destruction of Beacon behind him. He needed to get them as far away as possible.

"I'll keep you safe, pretty girl. I promise," he whispered to Neo, trying to keep her relatively still as he walked. The sky was starting to get light when he finally found a place for the two of them to rest.

The room was tiny, but it was safe, and built for traveling huntsmen and huntresses, so it was well stocked with food and medical supplies.

Roman laid Neo on the little cot in the corner, and then went straight to the cabinet, pulling out bandages and antiseptic to clean her wounds. He still had no idea what to do about the rest; he was certain that she had some broken bones, and quite possibly some head trauma, but this was the best he could do.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp change in Neo's breathing. The slow, difficult, but steady breaths were suddenly replaced by quick, shallow ones, and Roman rushed to her side.

"Hey, shhhh, it's okay Neo," he whispered, relieved that she was awake. Her eyes were wild and full of fear, but she seemed to quickly realize that every movement she made sent waves of intense pain through her entire body.

"Try not to move," he said, "I'm going to do what I can to patch you up."

She breathed out heavily and smiled just a little bit.

"Don't thank me, pretty girl. I'm just happy to see you alive."

Roman worked for hours, cleaning and bandaging her cuts-his heart breaking every time he watched her grimace in pain. Assessing her limbs, it looked as if only her right arm was broken, her left remaining intact. Her legs on the other hand, had not fared as well.

They seemed to have crumpled on impact. Her legs were almost twisted up, both bent in unusual and grotesque angles, especially at the ankles. Roman knew that even if he could have taken her to a real hospital, there was no repairing them.

"Neo," he breathed, trying to find the words to tell her, but she'd slipped back into unconsciousness for the moment. He sighed, beginning to make a splint for her right arm, and wishing things had turned out differently.

The next few days followed a similar pattern. Neo would wake up, terrified and in excruciating pain, and Roman would calm her down. She'd maybe drink some water or eat a bite or two of food, and then she'd be asleep again. At least when she was sleeping, she wasn't in pain...

 **(Thanks so much for reading, maybe leave a comment if you feel like it? Next chapter will be up soon!**

 **Much Love,  
PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)**


	2. Chapter 2

**(Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up you guys, thanks for being patient with me.**

 **Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my own imagination.)**

He thought that would be the worst part, and when she started healing and getting her strength back things would get better, but he was wrong. A few weeks went by, and Neo was starting to seem like her old self again-her aura was working wonders on her injuries-but even though her scars were fading and her arm was beginning to heal, she was confined to her little cot, her damaged legs healing, but not the way they should've been. The bones were growing back together crooked and twisted up, and even though Neo tried not to show it, Roman could see in her eyes that it hurt beyond belief.

He did his best, staying out just long enough to steal what they needed and then coming back home to her, bringing her books and trinkets, but he knew how badly she longed to be on her feet-out there creating chaos and living life again.

A few times she'd tried to walk, each attempt ending with her crashing to the ground. Her legs just wouldn't support any weight. He would try to help her back into bed, but she would swat him away, painstakingly pulling herself back into her bed with her arms alone.

Roman knew he had to do something.

It took a few late nights, cashing in favors, visiting a couple of less than reputable weapon forgers, but he had a plan for her. His partner would not be bedridden for long...

"Neo?" He said, poking his head through the front door. There she was, as always, sitting up in her corner cot like a delicate little doll that someone had placed ever so carefully. Even just sitting in her bed, reading a book, she had perfect posture, her back away from the wall so she didn't crush her pretty hair.

She looked up, setting down her book, and smiled the sad little smile that said, _"I missed you."_

"I have something for you, pretty girl," Roman teased, knowing she would think he meant maybe a book or some candy from a shop.

She cocked her head to the side, a coy smile on her face.

"Close your eyes."

She did as she was told, sitting up straight, waiting patiently.

Roman opened the door fully, revealing the delicate, white wheelchair he'd had made for her and rolled it to the middle of the room. It stood out, bright in the dreary old apartment.

"Well," he said, indicating that she could open her eyes.

Neo stared, her mouth hanging open.

"I know it's not perfect, but this way you aren't stuck in here all the time anymore."

A smile spread across Neo's face as she signed, " _Help me_ ," and pointed at the chair. Roman chuckled, picking her up carefully and putting her in her wheelchair.

Neo carefully adjusted herself so that she could sit comfortably, and then pushed herself forward. A look of unadulterated joy brightened her face, and Roman was sure that if she could, she'd have been screaming. It took her very little time to get acquainted with the mechanics of the wheels and soon she was turning and going backwards, all with sheer happiness pouring out of her.

"You like it?" Roman asked with a laugh.

Neo nodded furiously. " _I love you,"_ she signed, and Roman repeated the gesture back to her.

"So, here's what I was thinking," he said, sitting down on the cot. "We deserve better than this, and now we can get it. We'll use your illusions to hide in plain sight, and we'll get the hell out of here. We can go somewhere they don't know us, and we'll just get by. No more big jobs, no more master plans, just you and me, partners in crime, huh? Living pretty somewhere far away from here."

Neo nodded again, her eyes sparkling, and Roman knew she was happy. She rolled her chair over to him and threw herself at him, knocking him down onto the bed and burying her face in his neck. He laughed. For a girl who had only an hour ago been confined to her bed, she was still as strong as ever...

 **(Thanks guys, I'd love if you would leave a review, and let me know if there's something you want to see in this fic!**

 **Much love,  
PrettyLittleMonster Xxx)**


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